The Beauty of Human Touch in my Writing Voice by Alan Anderson

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is

commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything

worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

The Beauty of Interactions

The prompt for this month asks, “What does creating beauty mean to you and your writing?” The posts throughout this month are examples of beauty in themselves. So much so it would be wonderful to include them in a book on writing as beauty. For now, however, I humbly offer my contribution to our InScribe blog.

While reading through Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, and loving the entire book, the following words from page 12 struck me:

"When we hear the word ‘Beauty’, we inevitably think that beauty belongs in a special elite realm where only the extraordinary dwells. Yet without realizing it, each day each one of us is visited by beauty. When you actually listen to people, it is surprising how often beauty is mentioned. A world without beauty would be unbearable. Indeed the subtle touches of beauty are what enable most people to survive."

I entitled this blog post, “The Beauty of Human Touch in my Writing Voice,” because the beauty of interactions with people fuels most of what I write. These interactions have filled my life with whatever is lovely, significant memories, experiences, kindness, love, and wisdom.

Interactions with people over decades have also given me the opportunity to help mature what John O’Donohue would call my inner landscape. One’s inner landscape is how our outer and inner worlds intertwine.

For anyone interested, here is a link to a discussion of an interviewer talking with John O’Donohue on the inner landscape. https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty/?ref=antoinebuteau.com

A Continued Development of My Writing Voice

Perhaps it is because I am older now, but I see a need within me to opt for a quieter and slower-paced life. The landscape of the world around me is too noisy, rushed, and busy. I need to clear my inner landscape of events in the world that distract the birth of my words.

I work hard at developing my writer’s voice. In December 2025, I wrote a brief message to honour people in my life who influenced and shaped me as a man and a writer. They are those who were and are instrumental in the development of my inner landscape, how I interact with life, etc. Please allow me to share this with you.

They were family members, friends, and acquaintances. The world shone brighter and did not seem so cold because of their presence. They gave me treasured companionship and comfort. Holding grudges was a weakness they did not share. They mentored me and taught me what matters in life; they taught me of beauty.

When we were together, I could feel their warmth and loving presence. They taught me the preciousness of the moment. Memories of these dear ones are why there are often tears in my words as I nurture my inner landscape.

I can no longer feel their touch or embrace them, but I can live for them. Oh, how I would love to have one more of their hugs. I cherish unique hand-holding memories with these dear ones; time will not erase. These loved ones still matter. They let me know how special human touch is. I will honour and cherish them for the rest of my life. The world will know of their love in the way I live, love, and write.

The beauty of human touch, whether physical or emotional, continues to allow my writer’s voice to flourish. There will come a time when my writing ends. Until then, I will endeavour to write words that hopefully offer a sense of beauty, a beauty where people will know they are not alone.

Dear readers and writers, allow your inner landscape to birth words of beauty, offering to the world whatsoever is lovely.

 

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home, with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He has occasionally written articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan’s website and blog are https://scarredjoy.ca. He also writes on Substack.

 

A Few of My Writing Resources by Lorrie Orr

April's prompt is all about Writing Resources. How do you fill your creative container? How do you strengthen your craft? What writing resources do you use? Share books and publications, quotes, podcasts, and other resources you’ve found helpful.

Please remember that if you have difficulty writing to a particular prompt, you are free to write something else with a writing life focus.

Resource: a useful or valuable possession or quality that a person or organization has, for example, money, time, or skills

When I'm stuck for something to write, I often find definitions help me get started. A dictionary is definitely a resource, along with a thesaurus, and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. The latter is useful for matters of grammar and punctuation.

Dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resources useful to the writer abound in libraries and on the internet. The key is to discover which resources are most useful to me. A search engine is a great resource and I can quickly scroll through the various suggested sites to see which might pique my interest or fulfill a need.

I write some things by hand on paper, but most of my writing is done on a computer, specifically my Surface Pro 8, a cross between a tablet and a desktop. With it I can write anywhere. I use Microsoft Word as my writing tool and find it very useful. Another tool I use is my iPhone, useful for jotting down thoughts on the go or for taking photos of things I don't want to forget such as signs, logos, etc.

My greatest resource is my mind. Without that unseen, complex part of me that's hard to define, I am a shell. With my mind I see, hear, taste, touch, and feel. My mind motivates my behaviour and my emotions. Just thinking of all those synapses constantly firing in my brain is enough to make my mind explode. I am "fearfully and wonderfully made." When my mind is in tune with God's Spirit, it is indeed a marvelous thing.

Since my mind is so important, I must care for it properly so it will serve me well throughout my life. I must nourish it carefully, minimizing the garbage that can hinder its function. I am careful about what I put into my mind, focusing on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, as the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4. Things that fit those descriptive words in my life become more resources for my mind to employ in writing.

I am also cognizant that my mind needs rest and relaxation. During stressful times of life, I am learning to pull back and let my mind recuperate. Time away from writing is just as important as the writing itself. A good night's sleep is something I appreciate more and more. My mind needs gentleness as well as occasional reminders to "do the next thing".

Tea is my hot drink of choice when I sit at my computer. In summer it's a glass of cold water with sprigs of mint or lemon balm. A comfortable chair and a table at just the right height are useful, although I can sit on the couch and write, too. Being in a good position helps me to focus on my writing rather than my physical state.

Creation is also an immensely powerful resource. While walking this morning I thought about how so many people play music or listen to podcasts while walking. I don't. My mind is full to overflowing with thoughts, prayers, songs, and stories. When I write, I find that mental pictures absorbed from what I've seen in nature often provoke a written response.

These are just a few of the things that help me to write.

I could include a vast number of websites, blogs, SubStack writers, and more in this blog. But I'll leave that to you. What resources help you to write?

Lorrie Orr writes from her home on Vancouver Island,

finding beauty and grace in the natural landscape.

Her memoir of 21 years in Ecuador will soon be published,

and you can find more of her writing on SubStack and her blog.

What's Your Touchstone? by Lorrie Orr

 

Last week my 12-year-old granddaughter wanted to sew a new pencil case for school. She looked at Pinterest and pinned a selection of ideas to consider. One triangular-shaped case appealed to her, so I downloaded the pattern. Nope, that wouldn't work; the opening was too narrow. Next, another on-line pattern. She cut and stitched and we both decided it was a silly pattern. Another one abandoned. We attempted another on-line pattern. With some revision, this one worked. Sadie was so pleased to finally have a successful project. But how much better it would have been if we could have evaluated the patterns without trying them out first. A two-hour project turned into most of the day.

Our prehistoric ancestors used what they found in the earth to help them survive life. Flint, gold, and copper were made into tools, jewelry, and later, coins. It didn’t take too long before wily traders figured out how to forge coins, making them with a veneer of gold, silver, or copper covering less worthwhile minerals. Real or fake? This became the question for shopkeepers and customers.

The solution – drawing a line with a dubious piece of metal on a flat dark stone, often made of jasper or slate to create a mark to compare to a line made by a known coin. Different metals and different purities make distinctly different marks. These flat dark stones became known as touchstones, and are still used today to test metal purity in some applications. The word touchstone evolved over time to become a “test or criterion to determine the quality of a thing, and later to refer to a fundamental or quintessential part or feature of something.” (Merriam Webster)

How does a writer evaluate her own writing and reading? Grammar, diction, flow, storyline, structure, and more are all things a writer must think about. But when it comes to the content, the things I want to write about, what standard do I use? What is my touchstone for choosing which words to write?

For me, Paul’s words to the Philippians, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things” are my touchstone.

I'm currently on the second draft of my memoir of our years in Ecuador. Every day I think, "shall I include this or leave it out?" I do not want to sugarcoat life, nor do I want to dwell on the dark times. I must ask myself, "Will reading this experience draw someone to Jesus or away from him?" "Is there grace?" When the subject matter is difficult or even ugly, I can write with sensitivity trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and the moral excellence I want to convey to readers longing for light in a dark world. I am so very thankful that God leads me to the light, to redemption, and to grace. I want my words to do the same for others.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she loves spending time with her five grandchildren. She enjoys sewing, gardening, and reading. Traveling with her husband is fun to do now that we are both retired. 

Longing for Loveliness by Alan Anderson

 

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -- Philippians 4:8

 

 

A Longing for Loveliness

 

In this post, I would like to give readers my reflection on a longing within me. A longing for something not elusive but perhaps ignored or even evaded by people today, yet it is all around us. This is a longing for loveliness.

 

By the grace of God, I realize I cannot afford to embrace the attitudes and reactions of the world. All too often, this is the face of ugliness. I can, however, make a concentrated effort to notice the place of loveliness in the world.

 

Dear Loveliness,

 

I missed you. I allowed the weight and the relentless murmurings of this rebellious world to hide your presence. Please forgive my weakness and fear of the wiles of the Enemy, the one who would love to steal my soul forever.

 

May the confused clamor of those around me fade into distance from my tired mind. Please guide me to listen to Your voice so I won’t lose my way. Help me hear the still, small voice, this voice of thin silence, of He who beckons me to rest.

 

Oh, Creator of Loveliness, may I be content to look at you, the Lovely One, He who is altogether lovely. Scarred images obscured my vision like the cataracts which cause my eyes to look through a film of clouds. Like an expert surgeon, restore my sight and let me see beauty. Allow loveliness to shine as the precious jewel it is.

 

Moments of Loveliness

 

In this time in which we live and write, imposters challenge loveliness. Yet, loveliness has always faced challenges and remained undefeated. Those who recognize loveliness must cling to whatever is lovely.

 

Dear ones, loveliness is all around us and is not far away. You might drive on your way home for dinner and the last sunbeams of the day illuminate the snow on a nearby mountain. A stranger opens the door for you as you enter a local grocery store. Your granddaughter asks you with a sweet smile on her face to read her a bedtime story. A little boy runs up to his parents and invites them to enjoy a group hug. These are all moments of loveliness.

 

A Moment of Loveliness

 

        

Perhaps loveliness, in some form, will visit you soon. If it does, do not forget to breathe it in. Loveliness can take our breath away.

 

The beginning of autumn 2023 motivated me to write a poem after sitting outside on a warm fall day. My inspiration was a hummingbird who visits my backyard every day. There are also butterflies who love to cozy up to the pansies my wife and I planted in our baby memorial garden.

 

I now share with you a poem I wrote as I watched the hummingbird and butterflies. Even in the days in which we all live, loveliness is not far away.

 

Where Butterflies Sing

By Alan Anderson,

 

Hummingbirds,

Bumblebees,

All play together,

in this place where butterflies sing.

 

Ants dance,

Dragonflies flap their wings,

Ladybugs curtsy and giggle,

in this place where butterflies sing.

 

Come sit beside me.

Breathe in flowery air,

take off your shoes.

Feel the grass under your toes.

Rest, relax, and wonder,

in this place,

   where butterflies sing.

 

 

Dear friends, in this Holy season of life, I pray He who is altogether Lovely will fill your every longing for loveliness.

 

 

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. He is currently working on a book expressing the grief of grieving grandparents entitled “Hidden Poetic Voices: A Reflective Work of Grief, Faith, and Poetry.” Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and the online magazine for Compassionate Friends. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.